Hun’s Dudeck to Join Boston College Football; Other Local High School Athletes Make Choices

STATEMENTS OF INTENT: Hun School star senior athletes are all smiles last week after signing letters of intent to join college sports programs. Pictured, from left, are John Loughery (Elon University - football), David Dudeck (Boston College - football), Holly Hargreaves (Rice University - women’s soccer), Wyatt Vinci (University of Connecticut - football), and Wendy Laurent (Penn State- football). (Photo Courtesy of the Hun School)

David Dudeck traveled to Boston during the last weekend of January and had such a good time that he decided to spend a lot more time in the area.

The Hun School senior star athlete committed to the Boston College football program, choosing the school over Yale and Navy, his other top two choices.

“I took my official visit there last weekend,” said Dudeck, who verbally committed to the Eagles on site and then signed his official letter of intent last Wednesday.

“I loved everything about it. I want to play big time football and they are in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). It is a great institution academically. Everything felt right.”

Adding to Dudeck’s comfort level was the reaction of his parents, mother Amy and father Dave, the Hun football head coach.

“I talked about it with my parents on the visit,” said Dudeck. “They were really behind me. I am blessed to have a family that is so supportive.”

Dudeck was also anxious to have the blessing of older brother, Brendan, a former Hun teammate and current back-up quarterback at Navy.

“Brendan supported me 100 percent,” added Dudeck, noting that he ended the recruiting process with great respect for Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo and Yale head coach Tony Reno.

“Of course it would have been wonderful to play with him but he wanted what was best for me. He was pleased that I was happy.”

Getting the chance to play big-time college football is a dream come true for the 6‘0, 200-pound Dudeck.

“I have set goals in my life and this is one of them,” said Dudeck. “I am really lucky and blessed to have this opportunity to play ACC football. I have worked hard for years for this. There is a lot of hard work to come at another level.”

At the outset, that work is going to come in the secondary for Dudeck, a two-way performer for Hun who had 50 catches for 1,003 yards and 10 touchdowns as a wide receiver this past fall for a Raider team that went 7-1 and won the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title.

“They recruited me as an athlete,” said Dudeck, who is also a college prospect in baseball and may consider trying to walk on to the BC team.

“They said they plan to use me on the defensive side of the ball at safety.”

Dudeck has used the academic and athletic opportunities he found at Hun to his best advantage.

“Hun really helped me get organized with my schoolwork and how to best use my time,” said Dudeck, who had gone to public school in Hamilton before entering Hun in ninth grade.

“I took AP and honors courses; doing that will really help for college. Athletically, it was an awesome journey. It was great to play for and with family. I had great opportunities as an athlete. My dad did so much for me and for other kids to help them get into schools.”

Dudeck wasn’t the only Hun athlete to commit to a Division I program last week. Football teammates Wendy Laurent, Wyatt Vinci, and John Loughery each signed a letter of intent with Laurent heading to Penn State, Vinci to Connecticut, and Loughery to Elon.

Raider girls’ soccer star Holly Hargreaves signed to continue her soccer career at Rice University. Previously, soccer stars Lexi Golestani and Nicole Campellone had committed to the Providence College and Tufts University programs, respectively.

Several PDS athletes got into the act as well with Sarah Godwin signing on to continue her basketball career at Valparaiso University with Beau Horan headed to the Williams College baseball team and girls’ hockey star Megan Ofner on her way to Sacred Heart.

Over at Princeton High, wrestling star Ian Snyder is headed to the Duke University program while Jeff Barsamian has committed to play for the Penn sprint football team. Earlier, PHS lacrosse stars Mia Haughton and Katie Reilly opted to join the Amherst College women’s lax program.

Two Princeton residents, Philip Pecora and James Bunn, who have been star athletes at the Pennington School, also made college decisions last week. Pecora is headed to Bucknell University to play football while Bunn will be joining the baseball program at Virginia Commonwealth University.